Applicants explain how CDBG funds will help low-income Midlanders

Chris Aldridge, caldridge@mdn.net

Updated
12:02 pm EST, Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing for the city, said 85 percent of Washington Woods' 214 apartments are occupied and tenants pay discounted rent. She detailed a $38,000 project to update security on the grounds: the goal is to replace aging equipment installed when the building's East End was built in 1984, including small path lights that have been knocked over by snow and whose underground wires have eroded. Upgrades would add 10-foot poles with LED lighting to increase security, accessibility and navigability for seniors. less

Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing for the city, said 85 percent of Washington Woods' 214 apartments are occupied and tenants pay discounted rent. She detailed a $38,000 project to update security ... more

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Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing for the city, said 85 percent of Washington Woods' 214 apartments are occupied and tenants pay discounted rent. She detailed a $38,000 project to update security on the grounds: the goal is to replace aging equipment installed when the building's East End was built in 1984, including small path lights that have been knocked over by snow and whose underground wires have eroded. Upgrades would add 10-foot poles with LED lighting to increase security, accessibility and navigability for seniors. less

Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing for the city, said 85 percent of Washington Woods' 214 apartments are occupied and tenants pay discounted rent. She detailed a $38,000 project to update security ... more

Applicants explain how CDBG funds will help low-income Midlanders

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Eleven applicants seeking federal funding have the same goal for Midland: help its low-income residents.

They presented plans to the Midland City Housing Commission this week with the hope to be selected for Community Development Block Grants, afforded annually to communities by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help eliminate blight, bring homes to livable conditions by rehabilitation and emergency repair, fund programs aimed at increasing affordable housing and create jobs through expansion and retention of businesses.

Grant Murschel, the city’s community development planner, said the city anticipates receiving about $264,000 in CDB grants this year minus about $85,000 in administration costs, though he noted approval is contingent on Congress and the new presidential administration. That’s up from $242,289 for 2016.

The city is updating its 2015-2020 Consolidated Plan to receive the competitive federal grants. Goals include providing decent housing, establishing and maintaining a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, all primarily benefiting low and very low income Midland residents.

The City Housing Commission forwards its recommendations to city council, and federal funds, if approved, would be distributed in the coming year. The following applicants applied for grant money this year.

Safety overhead

Midland County Habitat for Humanity and Midland Area Homes are requesting $30,000 for five roof repairs/replacements. Executive Director Jennifer Chappel said Habitat has received four CDB grants since 2013 and worked with 175 low-income residents – primarily those within 30 to 60 percent of Midland’s annual median income -- since 2010.

“I don’t even think we’ve hit the tip of the iceberg,” Chappel said in regard to the need in Midland.

During the past two to three years, Chappel said Habitat has been inundated with requests for roof repairs. She said when a roofing initiative was launched in August last year, Habitat logged 43 requests in 30 days – 21 from city residents and 22 from county residents.

This year the aim is to cut back on the number of projects but increase the amount of work.

Midland Area Homes Executive Director Nancy Money said the intent is to help Midland's working poor, which includes those who can pay bills but can't afford unforeseen repairs – a group that includes 20 percent of Midlanders. MAH projects build accessible ramps, windows and doors, toilets and repair leaking roofs.

Habitat also is requesting $15,000 to acquire land with the intent to build a three-bedroom, one-bath house. To decide which family to help, Habitat had to choose based on need, livability, affordability and other factors. “It’s not an easy decision to make,” Chappel said.

Habitat identified the “state streets” section of the city across from Midland High School as an area of need in its Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, in which volunteers complete needed repairs at local homes. The organization has requested a third grant for this project in the amount of $10,000.

Wide age range

Security tightened at city-operated senior living facilities in late 2016, prompted by a series of break-ins at Washington Woods. According to police and city officials, perpetrators unscrewed flood lights and entered apartments. One resident reported catching a person at daytime in a unit posing as a city worker investigating a cat urine smell.

Lori Jung, assistant manager of senior housing for the city, said 85 percent of Washington Woods’ 214 apartments are occupied and tenants pay discounted rent. She detailed a $38,000 project to update security on the grounds: the goal is to replace aging equipment installed when the building’s East End was built in 1984, including small path lights that have been knocked over by snow and whose underground wires have eroded.

Upgrades would add 10-foot poles with LED lighting to increase security, accessibility and navigability for seniors.

Trudy Laufer, Cleveland Manor’s executive director, outlined a $35,000 project to install LED porch lights and a $37,000 project to replace 60 dehumidifiers. Most apartment units are either subsidized or tenants pay low market rent, and all have low to extremely low income, Laufer said. Cleveland Manor was approved for CDB grants to upgrade lighting in parking lots and is using 2016 funding on plumbing improvements.

Holly Miller, new president and CEO of BBBS of the Great Lakes Bay Region, said the roof of the “Friendship Center” at 2200 N. Saginaw Road is 20 years old, and has been patched but is now leaking and creating dry rot in the siding on the building.

BBBS serves 170 kids, and about 75 percent are in poverty, Miller said. A project in 2015 revamped the building’s sun room.

More help needed

Program Director Rob Worsley said Midland Community Former Offenders Advocacy and Rehabilitation had logged 140 new clients last year. MCFOAR was able to help 54 clients with work services and place 22 with employment. In the past, those jobs were at car washes and restaurants, he said. Now, clients are taking work at Quad/Graphics, one the city’s largest employers, and Case Systems, Worsley said.

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan is requesting grant money to recruit and train staff to test whether clients face housing discrimination, with a goal to create a nondiscriminatory environment and equal housing opportunity.

Enrollment has increased at Windover High School, where 90 percent of its 115 students are in poverty and 30 percent are homeless, Principal Gina Wilson told the housing commission. The school has prioritized its culinary arts program, raising $3,000 toward a new walk-in refrigerator and freezer, and Wilson requested grant money to purchase the equipment.

The West Midland Family Center works with 10 at-risk families in the city in its parenting and education programs. The purpose is to “eliminate the burden of broken families placed on society.” Susan Love, WMFC’s New Initiative coordinator, said 98 percent of families remain together three to five years after participating. Love said grant money would help fund programs and transporting children to the Center.

Reece Endeavor of Midland has applied for grant money for 45 pairs of automatic stovetop fire suppression systems. The small canisters have nontoxic powder released at the signal of a fire. Elaine Popovich, director of operations, said Reece Endeavor has built 35 homes in Midland for those with special needs and disabilities. The newest one is on Eastlawn Drive near the baseball diamonds.